Yegads.
We’ve got those miserable things here too, now.
The DNR denied it for years, in spite of a hunter nearly getting jumped up on Sideling Hill about a decade ago.
After denying it to death, signs on store fronts started popping up telling us that we would be fined $10K for harming/molesting/killing/harassing the “non-existent” critters and a 24/7 hotline number was included in case somebody sighted the mountains lions we “do not have here”.
Either the DNR is unrepentantly schizoid or they think we’re total idiots.
Maybe both.
I used to ride the ATV up on the mountain unarmed.
Then, I took along a .22 varmint rifle on the ATV gun rack.
Later, I slung a 30.30 over my shoulder.
Now that we have the catamounts [as they’re called here], the black bears and the “coyotes”, I don’t leave the freaking yard without a .45 semi-auto pistol.
When I let the dogs out in the backyard at night, I’ve got a high-lumen flash light in one hand and pistol near the door.
God only knows what I might find out there, these days.
What part of Maryland are you from?
I’m in suburban Maryland. I like riding my TB mare in the countryside; I mean, what’s the point of having a horse if you have to ride it around and around in an arena? But this past summer we were stalked by several yotes. They were big—big enough so that they must have been hybrids. Almost like German shepherds. The poor horse was pretty worried, especially since I couldn’t let her just take off and gallop home. This was 2 in the afternoon, so imagine how aggressive they’d be in the early evening.
What bugs me is that I can’t take a gun with me. Maryland doesn’t care if the entire Russian Army is invading, you don’t have the right to protect yourself outdoors with firearms. After all, you might hurt somebody! So I am riding with a huge hunting knife. To use that, however, I have to have yotes crawling all over me and the horse. Not a practical weapon, really.
I thought Vermont was the only place that called them catamounts.
